1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a golf tee, and more particularly, to a golf tee designed to improve accuracy of a golf ball trajectory.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Golf is one of the most widely played sports activities in the United States. Not only is this activity already widespread, but the number of golfers continue to grow due to popularity of the sports caused by high stake games televised on televisions.
The sport of golf is typically played on a course consisting typically of eighteen holes. A set of clubs is used to strike a golf ball in each hole. Each hole has a tee box which defines a starting location of that hole in which a golfer places a golf ball and swings a golf club to strike the ball towards a designated green. Before striking the golf ball, the golfer first places a golf tee into the ground and then places a golf ball on the concave surface of the tee. Upon a proper impact of the golf ball with a club, the golf ball travels in a desired direction and trajectory.
In conventional golf tee, a golf ball is placed on the golf tee. The underside of the golf ball actually touches the concave surface of the golf tee. As a result, the golf club head makes impact with the golf ball as well as the golf tee, thus causing a slight misplacement of the golf ball with respect to the club head. Such misplacement causes a golf ball to deviate from its intended trajectory.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a golf tee that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf tee to allow greater surface contact with a golf club for improved accuracy.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a golf tee that increases back spin of the golf ball.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a golf tee that is easy to manufacture.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a golf tee for use with a golf ball comprises a body having a tapered shape for placing into ground; and a support member extending from an upper portion of the body. The support member supports the golf ball at a plurality of regions which are offset from a longitudinal axis of the golf ball so that the golf ball is spatially separated from the top portion of the body. Preferably, a top portion of the body has an elliptical cross-section.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the support member includes a plurality of legs extending from the body of the golf tee to support the golf ball at a plurality of regions which are offset from a longitudinal axis of the golf ball. More specifically, the support member includes a pair of legs extending from the body of the golf tee, legs extending opposite to each other to support the golf ball at a plurality of regions which are offset from a longitudinal axis of the golf ball. In particular, the pair of legs has a substantially U-shaped contour to partially extend along the underside of the golf ball without actually touching the golf ball.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the support member further includes a pair of receptacles, each receptacle coupled to an end of corresponding legs. Preferably, the receptacle is elliptically shaped to increase a lateral support of the golf ball.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a top portion of the body has a recessed member. Alternatively, the top portion of the body may have a convex member.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide a further explanation of the invention as claimed.